The present invention relates to a pump to dispense a substance contained in a receptacle.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,062,416 discloses a pump that has a pump body for fixing onto a receptacle and including at least one air intake vent. A pushbutton is movable relative to the pump body between a low position and a high position. A suction valve includes a shutter-forming member. A piston co-operates with the pump body to define a pump chamber of variable volume. A dispenser duct is provided through which the pump chamber can communicate with a dispenser orifice. The piston is made integrally with the pushbutton by molding.
The pushbutton can be screwed into the pump body in the low position for storage purposes.
The pump is then sealed by the pushbutton pressing against a conical surface of the pump body. Such a pump is relatively complex and difficult to make.
French patent application No. FR-A-2 447 473 discloses a pump in which the piston is attached to the pushbutton. Such a pump does not include means for holding the pushbutton in the low position when not in use, unlike the pump described in above-cited U.S. Pat. No. 3,062,416. The pump is sealed only when in the high position.
There exists a need for a pump having a relatively small number of component parts and that is easy to manufacture.
There also exists a need for a pump in which the air intake vent is isolated from the outside during storage.
According to one aspect of the invention, the pump comprises a body for fixing onto a receptacle and including at least one air intake vent; a pushbutton movable relative to the pump body between a low position and a high position; a suction valve including a shutter-forming member; a piston co-operating with the pump body to define a pump chamber of variable volume; and a dispenser duct through which the pump chamber can communicate with a dispenser orifice. The pushbutton may further comprise a sealing skirt surrounding the dispenser duct on at least a fraction of its height, said sealing skirt being suitable for bearing in a leak tight manner against the pump body when the pushbutton is in its low position so as to isolate the vent from the outside. The dispenser duct may be constituted by an element attached to the pushbutton.
The pump may be manufactured relatively easily, since it may not require any parts that are complex in shape.
The piston may be implemented as an attachment.
Also, the sealing skirt may be made integrally with the pushbutton.
The piston is advantageously arranged to isolate the vent when the pushbutton is in its high position.
For this purpose, the piston may include two annular sealing lips suitable for bearing respectively above and below the vent when the pushbutton is in its high position.
The delivery duct may be suitable for coming to bear against the shutter-forming member of the suction valve when the pushbutton is in its low position.
The suction valve is thus held closed, thereby reducing the risk of leaks while the pump is being transported.
The pump advantageously includes a spring placed in the pump chamber so as to exert a return force on the pushbutton urging it towards its high position.
The shutter-forming member of the suction valve can be constituted, for example, by a ball held in a cage that is formed integrally with the pump body, the cage including at least one elastically deformable retention member capable of deforming while the ball is being put into place.
In a particular embodiment of the invention, the delivery duct is formed integrally with the piston and cannot move relative thereto.
Under such circumstances, the pump advantageously includes a delivery valve comprising a shutter-forming member retained in a housing made in the dispenser duct.
Such a shutter-forming member can be constituted by a ball, for example.
The housing receiving the shutter-forming member of the delivery valve can be situated in the top portion of the dispenser duct.
The shutter-forming member of the delivery valve can be urged against a seat formed in the dispenser duct by a spring that bears against the pushbutton.
The shutter-forming member of the delivery valve can alternatively be left free in its housing.
Under such circumstances, the pushbutton advantageously forms a top seat for the shutter-forming member of the delivery valve, which member comes to bear against said top seat in the event of the receptacle being turned upside-down, in the event of negative pressure outside the pump, or in the event of substance being dispensed too quickly.
The dispenser duct may form a bottom seat against which the shutter-forming member of the delivery valve can come to bear when negative pressure is created in the pump chamber, in normal operation of the pump.
The housing receiving the shutter-forming member of the delivery valve can also be situated in the bottom portion of the dispenser duct.
In another particular embodiment of the invention, the dispenser duct includes a substance admission orifice opening out laterally, and the piston is movable relative to the dispenser duct between a closed position in which it closes the admission orifice and a dispensing position in which the admission orifice is open.
The dispenser duct may include a top abutment suitable for limiting upward displacement of the piston relative to the dispenser duct, and a bottom abutment suitable for limiting downward displacement of the piston relative to the dispenser duct, and one of the abutments is arranged in such a manner as to enable the piston to go past it when the piston is put into place on the dispenser duct.
This can be the top abutment, for example, which is then suitable for allowing the piston to go past it when the piston is moved towards the bottom abutment while it is being put into place on the dispenser duct.
The pump body may be made integrally with an assembly skirt enabling it to be fixed on the receptacle.
Also, the pump body may include a first retaining member and the pushbutton includes a second retaining member suitable for co-operating with the first to hold the pushbutton in its low position during storage.
In accordance with another aspect, the invention also provides a pump to dispense a substance contained in a receptacle, the pump comprising:
a pump body including at least one air intake vent;
a pushbutton movable relative to the pump body between a low position and a high position;
a suction valve including a shutter-forming member;
a piston co-operating with the pump body to define a pump chamber of variable volume; and
a dispenser duct having a height and permitting communication from the pump chamber to a dispenser orifice;
wherein the pushbutton comprises a sealing skirt surrounding the dispenser duct on at least a fraction of the height of the dispensing duct, the sealing skirt being configured to cooperate with the pump body when the pushbutton is in its low position so as to isolate the vent from an outside ambient environment, and wherein the piston is movable relative to the dispenser duct.
In accordance with another aspect, the invention also provides a pump to dispense a substance contained in a receptacle, the pump comprising:
a pump body including at least one air intake vent;
a pushbutton movable relative to the pump body between a low position and a high position;
a suction valve including a shutter-forming member;
a piston co-operating with the pump body to define a pump chamber of variable volume; and
a dispenser duct having a height and permitting communication from the pump chamber to a dispenser orifice;
wherein the pushbutton comprises a sealing skirt surrounding the dispenser duct on at least a fraction of the height of the dispenser duct, the sealing skirt being configured to cooperate with the pump body when the pushbutton is in its low position so as to isolate the vent from an outside ambient environment, wherein the dispenser duct comprises an element attached to the pushbutton, and wherein the high position of the pushbutton is determined by the cooperation of the pushbutton and the pump body.
In accordance with another aspect, the invention also provides a pump to dispense a substance contained in a receptacle, the pump comprising:
a pump body including at least one air intake vent;
a pushbutton movable relative to the pump body between a low position and a high position;
a suction valve including a ball;
a piston co-operating with the pump body to define a pump chamber of variable volume; and
a dispenser duct attached to the pushbutton and not integral therewith, having a height and permitting communication from the pump chamber to a dispenser orifice;
wherein the pushbutton comprises a sealing skirt surrounding the dispenser duct on at least a fraction of the height of the dispenser duct, the sealing skirt being configured to cooperate with the pump body when the pushbutton is in its low position so as to isolate the vent from an outside ambient environment.
In accordance with another aspect, the invention also provides a pump to dispense a substance contained in a receptacle, the pump comprising:
a pump body including at least one air intake vent;
a pushbutton movable relative to the pump body between a low position and a high position;
a suction valve including a shutter-forming member;
a piston co-operating with the pump body to define a pump chamber of variable volume; and
a dispenser duct attached to the pushbutton and not integral therewith, having a height and permitting communication from the pump chamber a dispenser orifice of the dispensing duct;
wherein the pushbutton comprises a locking skirt capable of cooperating with the body to lock the pushbutton in the low position and a sealing skirt located between the locking skirt and the dispenser duct and surrounding the dispenser duct on at least a fraction of the height of the dispensing duct, the sealing skirt being configured to cooperate with the pump body when the pushbutton is in its low position so as to isolate the vent from an outside ambient environment.
In accordance with another aspect, the invention also provides a pump to dispense a substance contained in a receptacle, the pump comprising:
a pump body including at least one air intake vent;
a pushbutton movable relative to the pump body between a low position and a high position;
a suction valve including a shutter-forming member;
a piston co-operating with the pump body to define a pump chamber of variable volume; and
a dispenser duct attached to the pushbutton and not integral therewith, having a height and permitting communication from the pump chamber to a dispenser orifice;
a delivery valve comprising a ball;
wherein the pushbutton comprises a sealing skirt surrounding the dispenser duct on at least a fraction of the height of the dispenser duct, the sealing skirt being configured to cooperate with the pump body when the pushbutton is in its low position so as to isolate the vent from an outside ambient environment.
In accordance with another aspect, the invention also provides a method of manufacturing a pump, wherein the pump comprising: a pump body for fixing on the receptacle and including at least one air intake vent; a pushbutton movable relative to the pump body between a low position and a high position; a suction valve including a shutter-forming member; a piston co-operating with the pump body to define a pump chamber of variable volume; and a dispenser duct through which the pump chamber can communicate with a dispenser orifice, the pushbutton further comprising a sealing skirt surrounding the dispenser duct on at least a fraction of its height, the sealing skirt configured to cooperate with the pump body when the pushbutton is in its low position so as to isolate the vent from an outside ambient environment, and the dispenser duct including an element attached to the pushbutton; the method comprising the following steps:
a) forming the sealing skirt integrally with the pushbutton; and
b) attaching the dispenser duct to the pushbutton after mounting a piston on the dispenser duct that is movable relative to the dispenser duct or after inserting into the dispenser duct a member forming a shutter for a delivery valve.
The invention also provides a receptacle fitted with a pump as defined above.